Nymphs swimming in Golden Lakes
by LyonessaStark
Summary: A series of fairytale au novellas for my favorite Poto, Les Mis, and TGS ships. First up, a Twelve Dancing Princesses au for Erik/Meg.
1. Chapter 1

They love to dance, all 5 of them. They are renowned throughout their kingdom. Marguerite, the oldest, Teri, the second eldest, Serafina, the third, Petronia, the fourth, and the youngest, Cecile.

They all have their virtues.

Cecile is dutiful, Petronia is wise, Serafina is beautiful, Teri is graceful, and the oldest, Marguerite, shines like the sun upon a blue sea, they say.

Their mother, Queen Antoinette of Enna, is a wise and good ruler.

**XXX**

Serafina runs through the halls, laughing. ''You won't catch me, Cecile!'' she calls behind her, before bumping into Petronia.

''Just what are you doing?''

''Cecile and I are playing catch and tag.'' Serafina says, face glowing, eyes shining.

''Mama said you ought to be sewing.'' Petronia reminds her older sister. ''Where are Marguerite and Teri?''

Serafina thinks. She truly can't remember. Oh, yes. ''They're in the gardens. Why?''

''Mama wants to speak to them.''

**XXX **

Marguerite and Teri walk into the throne room, curtsey to their mother. ''You sent for us, Mama?''

''You are old enough to find a suitable husband, and as such I have sent for the prince of a neighboring realm to meet you, and whichever one he likes, he will marry.'' Queen Antoinette declares.

Marguerite and Teri look at each other. A marriage?

''Who is the prince?'' Teri questions.

''Prince Phillippe of Celesia. You may know of him. His younger brother's run off and no one knows where he's gone.''

Ah. Marguerite danced with him once at a ball. If she recalls correctly, he wasn't a very good dancer, and she had told him that he ought to get an Ennian dance teacher. She does hope that he has gotten better over the years.

**XXX**

The prince is received with great fanfare. He greets the queen with almost-annoying delight, and asks where her daughters are, saying that he would like to meet them. So the queen has her three eldest daughters summoned.

Serafina comes in first, dressed in olive green with slashed sleeves and her dark hair tucked into a jeweled snood. She drops into a curtsey, and smiles at him. _Too dark,_ he thinks.

Then Teri walks in gracefully, gowned in pale blue with a pleated, off-shoulder neckline, and blue ribbons in her hair. Philippe studies her. _Pretty, but I don't think so._

Finally, Marguerite comes in, and Philippe remembers her as the girl who critiqued his dancing. She wears a pale pink frock with sleeves that puff out around her shoulders, and a skirt that bells out around her tiny waist. Her golden hair falls down her back in loose curls, and she wears a diamond tiara.

_Yes. This one will do._


	2. Chapter 2

Meg smiles, and curtsies to Philippe. ''A pleasure to meet you, good sir. We are honored to have you here.''

''Indeed.'' Philippe says. _Oh, she is lovely. _

''Shall I send for a servant to show you to your room?'' the Queen asks, and he nods. He is shown to his room, and in theirs, the five girls talk to each other.

''Is he handsome?'' Cecile asks.

Serafina nods. ''Very much so.''

''What did you think of him, Meg?'' Teri asks her older sister, who is rather quiet.

''What did I think? That remains to be seen, as I have not seen much of him over the past few years.'' Marguerite replies.

**XXX**

Erik has traveled a long way from Jerodia to get to Enna, and now he is finally here. He does not know how to find work, but he shall. Perhaps even at the royal palace.

He stops at a small hut, and knocks at the door. An old woman opens it. ''Could you please tell me the way to the palace?'' he asks.

''Yes. Go straight on, and you shall see it.''

He thanks her, and heads in the direction she pointed out.

When he does come upon the castle, he admires its beauty, colored pale pink and lilac in the light of the golden sun. He strides up to it, and knocks upon the door. The guards open it, and ask what he wants.

''I wish to offer my services to the queen.'' he declares.

The guards look at each other, but finally, they let him in.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, the girls are informed that they have a new cobbler, and the younger ones are excited. ''I told Mama we ought to get a new cobbler.'' Serafina says.

''I wonder what he's like.'' Teri wonders out loud.

Marguerite says nothing, wonders nothing. All her thoughts lie in her sewing.

She finishes embroidering a butterfly onto the pale lilac fabric that lies across her lap, folds up the fabric, puts it away. ''I think I shall take a walk in the garden. Would anyone care to join me?''

Her sisters shake their heads, and Marguerite ties on a straw summer hat, wraps a shawl over her shoulders, and walks out into the gardens. The gardens are lovely in springtime. All roses and lilacs and forget-me-nots and lavender and primroses and jasmine. It is lovely.

**XXX**

Erik has won the job, and the Queen has appointed him to make the shoes that her oldest daughter, Princess Marguerite, will dance in at her wedding. They are to be pink, with small roses on the toes.

Unfortunately, the Queen was called away before she could tell him the size of her daughter's feet. He supposes they're not as small as the new Princess of Glass's are. But he doesn't think they are too big, either.

It's a bothersome thing, and if he doesn't know the size of the princess's feet, how can he make her shoes?

''Are you alright?'' a timid, sweet voice asks. He looks up, thankful he is wearing his mask.

''I suppose so.'' he looks down at the fabric that lies in his hands and the cobbler's tools that lie besides him. ''As you can see, I'm having a bit of trouble.''

''Why?''

''Well, I'm supposed to make the wedding-shoes for the oldest daughter of the queen, but I don't know her foot size, and the shoes must fit her. I don't wish to lose my head.''

''This isn't Wonderland. The Queen is very kind.'' Marguerite says, deciding not to tell him who she is. If this is the new cobbler, he seems nice. ''Could I help?''

''How could you do that?''

Marguerite smiles. ''Well, not every girl has feet like the Princess of Glass. If you know what I'm saying. Shoes made for one girl could easily fit another girl. Perhaps-'' here she looks down at her feet- ''I'm pretty sure I have the same foot size as the Queen's daughter. You could fit the shoes to my feet.''

The cobbler doesn't look too optimistic-more like no expression at all because he's wearing a mask of black leather- but he agrees.

Marguerite holds out her foot, and he slowly but surely fits the silk fabric for the top of the shoe upon her foot. Then comes the leather for the sole.

''Hold still.'' he asks.

''Of course. Sorry.''

He makes marks so that he knows where to sew, and thanks her. ''It was very kind of you, -''

''Meg.'' she says. ''I'm Meg.''


End file.
